okcanuck wrote:I'll be watching the Kelowna Rockets, a small town team not yet infected with this bullshit greed from players and owners, but I'll still be around when they settle. Christ my whole life revolves around the Canucks and Lions. I really do feel sorry for the Canuck organization workers who barely scrape by and have to listen to these so "hard done by" players and owners.

okcanuck wrote:I'll be watching the Kelowna Rockets, a small town team not yet infected with this bullshit greed from players and owners, but I'll still be around when they settle. Christ my whole life revolves around the Canucks and Lions. I really do feel sorry for the Canuck organization workers who barely scrape by and have to listen to these so "hard done by" players and owners.

Shouldnt it be go Westside Warriors or is it Bestwank Warriors?

Go Lions tho, could be Boucherie Bears too

The bcjhl is good hockey, but you never really see too many future NHL'ers. I've been lucky enough to follow the likes of Shea Weber, Tyler Myers, Luke Schenn and others throughout their junior careers with the Rockets.

okcanuck wrote:I'll be watching the Kelowna Rockets, a small town team not yet infected with this bullshit greed from players and owners, but I'll still be around when they settle. Christ my whole life revolves around the Canucks and Lions. I really do feel sorry for the Canuck organization workers who barely scrape by and have to listen to these so "hard done by" players and owners.

Shouldnt it be go Westside Warriors or is it Bestwank Warriors?

Go Lions tho, could be Boucherie Bears too

The bcjhl is good hockey, but you never really see too many future NHL'ers. I've been lucky enough to follow the likes of Shea Weber, Tyler Myers, Luke Schenn and others throughout their junior careers with the Rockets.

I'll do what I did last time, go see the Moose I mean the Volves! (it was fun to watch Kesler develop)....probably check out the Canuck prospects in OHL Jr. as well. Have a little fun, talk to the rural folk about my team...

NHL hockey is a business and entertainment first and foremost, not really a pure sport. They can do what ever the fuck they want and in the end I'll decide if I like it. Same way I feel about movies or the clothes I buy. If they make a shitty sequel (Hello Spiderman 3) I won't go see the reboot.

The BS (as Donnie Brasco calls it) will not end until the fans rebel and we all know sheep don't question their shepherds.....

I can't give it up now that I have Johnny Canuck tattooed on my arse

There is no such thing as climate change...there is no such thing as climate change...there is such thing as climate change...

My opinion is that while I don't think the league should get everything they are asking for, what they have presented as a framework the past 2 offers are fair starting points to negotiation. I have a hard time being too upset with the owners/league because the economics from various sources suggest the CBA needs some tweaking.

I am annoyed at the players because since they hired Fehr a settlement to the CBA without missing games has been the last thing on their minds. They have no, and haven't had any, intention of actually negotiating IMO. So the extent of my anger will be based on exactly how long it takes the players to wake up and go to the table. A missed season likely means I wait a number of years before being that invested in hockey....until the group of players running the ship have cleared out. Missing games won't do much.

I do hate how these players are not happy to play for an average of $2.5 mil a year but are more than happy to take a job in Europe paying a fraction of that while another guy loses his job and livelihood. Good on the SEL for saying you can come but you will play the entire year.

Unfortunately, this will not be the end of lockouts in hockey, or in the NBA, NFL or maybe even the MLB because these are multi-billion dollar businesses that are in it for profit.

Whether that's ideal or not is a long discussion that I personally have no energy in engaging.

As much as I would loathe to needlessly miss games, I can live with a 50-60 game schedule, after all, I've been a big proponent of a shorter regular season (something that will never happen, you know, it being a business and all).

As for our good friend Donny, who I've had the pleasure of knowing for the past 7-8 years, I think his frustrations with the NHL go beyond this somewhat trivial labor dispute. He, having been a long-time fan who suffered through the glory days of Canucks' ineptitude and a league that took until the 21st century to understand what contemporary significance means, and even then, they still locked the game out for a year, and now we're on the verge of missing more games.

Then if you add the depressing old-boys club mentality when it comes to officiating, supplemental discipline etc., it's not hard to see why a long-time and passionate Canucks fan would have enough with the NHL.

Having said that Donny, this version of the Canucks we've seen for the past few years marks the best roster, most consistent year-to-year performance and potential for winning a cup that any era of Canucks teams' that we've seen. Stick with this group and be there all the way when we do hoist the cup we've all been longing for.

Had to vote "less interested" because, truth be told, that's where I'm already at and will likely remain.

I suppose my position is similar to Lever's but since I'm putting 90% of this lockout on the players it is easier for me to reconcile going back to watching and cheering for the TEAM that I love. The bottom line for me in this regard is that I have loved this team for 25+ years, and in that time players have come and gone via trades, free agency, and retirement, yet the jersey remains (more or less I suppose.....what are we at 12 or 13 different inceptions of the damn thing?). Ownership has changed, as has management. The league has grown, the world economy has changed. So to me I can still get on board with the team and rally behind the logo hoping for the best, because in reality I'm actually getting on board with the scores of other Canuck fans and hoping for win for US. Not for the players. Not for management. For the fans. For the people who really make Canuckdom what it is.

I was beyond bummed out when Linden gave up the "C" and was traded not too long after. Same for when McLean was done in Vancouver. I grew up on those guys, but the Canucks were still my team. When Naslund left I was pretty disappointed, but I still had the candle lit for the blue, green, white, yellow, orange, red, black, maroon, silver, navy, and gold.....

So for me it really comes down to this.....

Fuck the players. They make more than enough and have proven this time around that they are about the money and not the game and the fans.....If the NHL went with scabs I'd be cheering just as hard for the team as I did when Linden and McLean nearly took the team the distance in 94.

Meds wrote:Had to vote "less interested" because, truth be told, that's where I'm already at and will likely remain.

I suppose my position is similar to Lever's but since I'm putting 90% of this lockout on the players it is easier for me to reconcile going back to watching and cheering for the TEAM that I love. The bottom line for me in this regard is that I have loved this team for 25+ years, and in that time players have come and gone via trades, free agency, and retirement, yet the jersey remains (more or less I suppose.....what are we at 12 or 13 different inceptions of the damn thing?). Ownership has changed, as has management. The league has grown, the world economy has changed. So to me I can still get on board with the team and rally behind the logo hoping for the best, because in reality I'm actually getting on board with the scores of other Canuck fans and hoping for win for US. Not for the players. Not for management. For the fans. For the people who really make Canuckdom what it is.

I was beyond bummed out when Linden gave up the "C" and was traded not too long after. Same for when McLean was done in Vancouver. I grew up on those guys, but the Canucks were still my team. When Naslund left I was pretty disappointed, but I still had the candle lit for the blue, green, white, yellow, orange, red, black, maroon, silver, navy, and gold.....

So for me it really comes down to this.....

Fuck the players. They make more than enough and have proven this time around that they are about the money and not the game and the fans.....If the NHL went with scabs I'd be cheering just as hard for the team as I did when Linden and McLean nearly took the team the distance in 94.

It just doesn't make any sense. It is a part of a bigger problem in that you cannot keep growth as the primary goal. The product (and let's make no mistake here it is just a luxury product like an iPhone) must become better and more efficient.Ticket prices are well above inflation and wage increases. It is just plain greed on both the owners and players part.The best thing to happen is a competitive league where we actually have a choice but that's never going to happen unless there is a Euro team tour.

There is no such thing as climate change...there is no such thing as climate change...there is such thing as climate change...

Arachnid wrote:The best thing to happen is a competitive league where we actually have a choice but that's never going to happen unless there is a Euro team tour.

You can also consider any of the minor league 'competitive' if you look at value per dollar spent. I've seen good games in the WHL, ECHL, USHL - and I've seen bad games in the NHL.

I might be only spending $15 on Lincoln Stars ticket, but I have a good time, get to watch some hockey, have a couple of $4.50 micro-brews and hang out with friends. Will spending 10x as much get me 10x the 'experience'? I'm guessing that many of you have the same choice.

A lot of us would rather drive Ferraris, but we still (mostly) enjoy out daily drivers. Fuck the NHL.

Inconsistent and just bad refereeing. Nonsensical approach to suplementary discipline.Rules that seem to change mid season. Home teams wear dark, road teams white (who was the idiot who decided this?)Gary Bettman..arrogant weasel. The Canucks logo is an utter piece of crap. Hey Aquillini....you bought the team remember? Time to dump John McCaws whale don't you think? Advertising clutter all over the ice. Can't stand it. Especially the "NHL Playoffs" ice decoration just inside the bluelines. Obscures the point to point passes...and for no reason at all. btw...I KNOW IT'S THE FUCKING PLAYOFFS.Hockey teams where they don't belong. Goalies who look like Blimps. How the f*&k can anyone score with the size of the gear? Season way too long.

Meds wrote:Had to vote "less interested" because, truth be told, that's where I'm already at and will likely remain.

I suppose my position is similar to Lever's but since I'm putting 90% of this lockout on the players it is easier for me to reconcile going back to watching and cheering for the TEAM that I love. The bottom line for me in this regard is that I have loved this team for 25+ years, and in that time players have come and gone via trades, free agency, and retirement, yet the jersey remains (more or less I suppose.....what are we at 12 or 13 different inceptions of the damn thing?). Ownership has changed, as has management. The league has grown, the world economy has changed. So to me I can still get on board with the team and rally behind the logo hoping for the best, because in reality I'm actually getting on board with the scores of other Canuck fans and hoping for win for US. Not for the players. Not for management. For the fans. For the people who really make Canuckdom what it is.

I was beyond bummed out when Linden gave up the "C" and was traded not too long after. Same for when McLean was done in Vancouver. I grew up on those guys, but the Canucks were still my team. When Naslund left I was pretty disappointed, but I still had the candle lit for the blue, green, white, yellow, orange, red, black, maroon, silver, navy, and gold.....

So for me it really comes down to this.....

Fuck the players. They make more than enough and have proven this time around that they are about the money and not the game and the fans.....If the NHL went with scabs I'd be cheering just as hard for the team as I did when Linden and McLean nearly took the team the distance in 94.

It just doesn't make any sense. It is a part of a bigger problem in that you cannot keep growth as the primary goal. The product (and let's make no mistake here it is just a luxury product like an iPhone) must become better and more efficient.Ticket prices are well above inflation and wage increases. It is just plain greed on both the owners and players part.The best thing to happen is a competitive league where we actually have a choice but that's never going to happen unless there is a Euro team tour.

I completely agree with you Spidey. It has gotten out of hand, I can't remember if I fired it up on here or on some other comment board thingy, but as much as I blame the players, and the owners, I blame the fans equally, if not more. The fans should have said "HELL NO!" when ticket prices started skyrocketing and we started seeing long term contracts handed out in the $5-6M range on a regular basis. When a 25G-50P guy is suddenly demanding $6M or more, you know the whole thing has gone to pot. Fans should have walked and sent the message.

Wife and I are looking at moving to Kelowna next year. I'm going to enjoy having the DUB as an option again.

Zedlee wrote:Screw the NHL. I watch less and less each year for these reasons:

Inconsistent and just bad refereeing. Nonsensical approach to suplementary discipline.Rules that seem to change mid season.Hockey teams where they don't belong.

Ditto.

Zedlee wrote:Home teams wear dark, road teams white (who was the idiot who decided this?)The Canucks logo is an utter piece of crap. Hey Aquillini....you bought the team remember? Time to dump John McCaws whale don't you think? Advertising clutter all over the ice. Can't stand it. Especially the "NHL Playoffs" ice decoration just inside the bluelines. Obscures the point to point passes...and for no reason at all. btw...I KNOW IT'S THE FUCKING PLAYOFFS.Season way too long.

I did prefer the home whites with the option of wearing the darks as an alternate on occasion.

The logo is fine. It fits the Pacific NW.

The advertising is fairly minimal when compared to some other leagues and sports out there. The Playoff stuff is fine, if you can't see the cross-point passes then maybe you should petition Fox to bring back the glowing puck. Do you have the same complaint about the giant Superbowl logo on the 50 yard line every February?

These are trivial complaints. You from the US?

Zedlee wrote:Goalies who look like Blimps. How the f*&k can anyone score with the size of the gear? Gary Bettman..arrogant weasel.

Goaltender leg pads are now the same or narrower when compared to the late 80's and early 90's. The blocker and catcher haven't changed much either. The chest protectors are bigger, not by alot, but still bigger. However, when you give players a composite stick so that everyone can let go of a shot in the high 80 mph range and bombers like Chara are closing on 110 mph (not one timers either), then you have to give the goaltenders half a chance to protect themselves properly. Goaltenders are just far more technically sound than their predecessors of the previous generation(s). They stay squarer, are generally bigger individuals, more agile, much better conditioned, and far better coached. There is also the fact that hockey, at least in North America, has gotten to the point where the kid playing goal at age 8 often gets funnelled down the goaltending pipe because he's good at it and wants to excel at the position. It used to be that the goalie was always the kid who couldn't skate worth shit and then just defaulted to that spot until he figured things out and became good at the position. Now they are groomed for the role. It has nothing to do with the size of the equipment.....maybe the weight, pads being much lighter than they used to be, but not the area that the equipment takes up.

As for Bettman, he's a weasel, but he's at least and "honest one". He makes no bones about growing the game financially. It's his job. He does it well. Sure he's arrogant, but at least he's honest when it comes to the business of hockey. He's likely a lying snake when it comes to answering questions regarding the integrity of the league in regards to officiating and bias, but you know he's about the dollar signs. If he steers the ship through this lockout and gets the players and their ludicrous salaries under control he will have done a very good job indeed.....I hope Donald Fehr is looking for a new job in a few months.

Lots of great input in this thread so far. And good to hear from you again, donny.

I'm the lone vote so far for "I'm done", although I wish there was an "almost done" option. I'll truly dump the NHL if we lose this whole season - which I'm really starting to think will happen.

I used to feel like lever: that even one game lost would equal my departure (on principle), but I've softened on that. Truth is, it's not so much for principle now as for purely selfish reasons - my life has become so fucking busy that I could use a 30-40 game hiatus anyway. I rarely catch more than every other game as it is.

But more importantly, I think a shortened season will actually help our club. I've got *a lot* of time and energy invested in this franchise, but specifically, I'm invested in these players we have right now. So that's all I care about in terms of games lost - whether it will bring this current roster closer to a Cup.

If we lose the whole season, I really think we've lost the window and at that point, the NHL can eat shit. I'll pretty much follow hockey like my dear old 76 year-old mom does.

As for the NHL itself, I haven't spent a red penny on going to games since I paid for tickets to the Auger-gate game here against Nashville. My bitterness has been steadily increasing since - the refereeing and the League discipline non-sense has been getting worse and worse every year. The Keith elbow and the Weber head-slam suspensions were a goddamn joke.

I'm not a jersey wearing kind of guy, so they never got my dosh for swag anyway.

The real winners for my dollars have been the pubs, at which I've drunk many a keg dry watching Canucks hockey over the years.

As for sides: I actually don't give a runny shit about either the owners or the PA - I think they're both incredibly irresponsible, selfish and conceited. They easily could have sorted this shit out long ago, but instead they chose this reprehensible route. It's fucking disgraceful.

So, to sum it up: fuck this dog-and-pony show. Seriously. I'm already almost out beacuse of the circus that the League has become - and life is way too short for me to actually have to care about the problems of greedy pigs like these.